History101.NYC is an ad-free learning resource available to the public at no charge. The project is dedicated to exploring New York’s fascinating past. We restore vintage photographs and prints that document the City's history and heritage. We also research the natural forces that shaped the environment, along with the people who formed the landscape and culture.
History of NYC - 1850s
By the 1850s, New York City’s ports handled more goods and people than all other American ports combined. In 1855, Fernando Wood was elected as the first mayor.
1850: Bird's Eye View of Lower Manhattan
An aerial perspective above Manhattan, showing the rapid change of the city's shore, skyline and developing landscape.
Artist Credit: Wilhelm Heine. Reprinted with permission. Library of Congress
1850: Busy Scene at The South Street Seaport
Artist's rendering of The South Street Seaport, the first pier in the area was occupied in 1625 by the Dutch West India Company.
Artist Credit: A.R. Waud. Reprinted with permission. Library of Congress
1850: Bowling Green Park
New York's oldest public park (formerly, there was a turf present for playing lawn bowling) which is also surrounded by the oldest fence in City.
Artist Credit: Charles Magnus. Reprinted with permission. Library of Congress
1855: City Hall, Manhattan
A photograph of Manhattan's City Hall. Taken by A.R. Waud in the winter of 1855.
Artist Credit: A.R. Waud. Reprinted with permission. Getty
1858: Looking South from Chatham Square
Lithograph illustration of Chatham Square, named after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister of Great Britain before the American Revolution.
Artist Credit: Adam Weingartner. Reprinted with permission. New York Public Library
1857: Jefferson Market at 6th Avenue
An illustrative engraving of the original Market on 6th Avenue.
Artist Credit: Adam Weingartner. Reprinted with permission. Library of Congress
1850: The Croton Reservoir
Painting of the Croton Reservoir at 42nd Street. Completed in 1842, it was the source of the city's drinking water until its demolition in the 1890s.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission. New York Public Library
1855: George Washington Monument at Union Square
A group gathered around the newly constructed monument of George Washington in Union Square, dedicated in 1856 the the oldest sculpture in any NYC Park.
Artist Credit: Silas A. Holmes. Reprinted with permission. Getty
1850: Grace Church
Photograph of Broadway, looking north towards A.T. Stewart's Building and Grace Church.
Artist Credit: Unknown. Reprinted with permission. New York Public Library
1855: Broadway and Vesey Street Looking South
Watercolor Illustration of Broadway and Vesey Street Looking South.
Artist Credit: Charles A. Dana. Reprinted with permission. The National Archives
1850: Open Air Clothing Market in New York City
Photograph of an open air clothing market beneath the train tracks in New York City. Taken by A.R.Waud in 1850
Artist Credit: A.R. Waud. Reprinted with permission. Library of Congress
1855: Broadway and Broome Street
The East side of Broadway and Broome Street looking North, capturing the hum and activity of downtown Manhattan during a cold winter.
Artist Credit: Silas A. Holmes. Reprinted with permission. Getty
1855: Brownstones on Fifth Avenue
View of a residential neighborhood along New York's Fifth Avenue. Rows of single-family brownstones with grand front stoops line the wide corridor.
Artist Credit: Silas A. Holmes. Reprinted with permission. Getty
1855: St. Germain Hotel on Fifth Avenue
A view of the St. Germain Hotel on the North East Corner of 5th Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Streets (future site of The Flatiron Building).
Artist Credit: Silas A. Holmes. Reprinted with permission. Getty
1855: The Palisades, Hudson River and Yonkers
A view overlooking the Palisades, Hudson and Yonkers dockyard with railroad tracks which ran parallel to the Hudson River. Taken by Silas A. Holmes in 1855.
Artist Credit: Silas A. Holmes. Reprinted with permission. GettyNext Chapter: History of NYC - 1860s
The 1860s were a time of reconstruction after the Civil War in 1865. The nation completed its first transcontinental railroad in 1868, the same year NYC completed its the first ... Continue Reading